im moving to san jose, USA

Sokka

Ignore

(edited 7 years ago)

Do you know the way?

I love angry birds.

IF you say you have 18 top grades I think they'll realise that is good

Reply 4

Jweldon5

I just looked at the emoticons

Reply 5

jus-mi

can we swop places...i wanna move to the states..i've had enough of the UK loooool!

On a realz tho i'm sure where ever you go you'll be successful, its hard moving but at the same time can be quite fun.

Reply 6

kerily

18 GCSEs at the same time as 2 AS? :holmes:

Not sure if trolling (saying you're getting an A* in an AS is a bit of an indicator...)

If you really have 16 A*, you're obviously going to be fine wherever you end up.

Reply 7

Teao the Cat

Original post by cambio wechsel

Do you know the way?

A Rent watcher???

OP, 18 GCSEs? Really? And there I thought 12 or 13 was good going. Of course the admissions people in the states will recognise GCSEs. And I would imagine which high schools you can go to would be dictated by where you live, unless you go private. And there aren't that many private schools on the west coast of the states.

Reply 8

Horatio-

The American School system is quite different. Different qualifications and everything.

I guess you'll just have to get used to it. But that doesn't mean you won't not be able to go to Cambridge. It will just be really expensive.

Also. Do you know the way to San Jose...the song.

Reply 9

clarityy

Original post by Sokka

Hey, I'm just a normal Chinese teenager finishing GCSE'S this year. Anyway, so last week I was revising and then my mom came to my room and told me we were moving to USA. I knew about this before, I mean I heard my parents talk about it sometimes but I didn't know it was actually going to happen. Now about 1 week later, I'm starting to wonder what will happen to my education? I got accepted to Woodhouse college and I did well to get accepted, but now it seems as if I'll have to leave all my friends back here and start a new life in the USA, I don't want to do that :frown:

I don't know what college I can go to in San Jose or what schools are good overthere and I'm kind of getting nervous because how will people treat me over there as a new comer. I mean I don't exactly speak fluent english, I have this slight accent to it so maybe I can pick up the american way of talking and fit in or something, should I start practising? :tongue:

Also, what do they do in America, what will my gcse's be worth over there? Do colleges know what gcse's are? I'm doing 18 GCSE's (2 MORE EXAMS :biggrin:

) all predicted at A* except for R.E and citizenship. I'm also doing 2 AS-levels in math and further math, I'm on track for A*'s in them as well and they were 6 exams in total. So what will these be worth in USA. If anyone's been through this before I'd like to know how you coped with the moving and the new schooling system overthere. I wanted to go Cambridge university but now I don't know where I can study in the USA. I know harvard is really good and I want to go there but I heard it's really hard to get in.

IF you read all of that, please answer my questions, thanks :wink:

~ Calvin Chen

omg whatt, 18 GCSEs and 2 AS-Levels at those grades? insaneee, you genius haha
and you should have a good shot at universities in America. If you're moving to America and are gonna move into a university there, you can apply to as many universities as you want, so go for it.. also, if you're moving out to say Harvard (or are planning to) you can still apply for UK universities (since you're moving out anyway) with the qualifications that you will get in America when you move there.

Reply 10

Teao the Cat

Original post by Sokka

Thanks. Do you know if they have 6th forms overthere or anything similar? I'm happy with moving there (I didn't really have a say in it anyway lol) but I just don't get the whole education thing in the USA. So I move there, and then what? Do I apply to a highschool or something? Also one thing I really want to know is what do they do for A-levels overthere if you know the answer please quote me. Thanks ^^

No A levels, they do AP (advanced placement) to prepare them for university, which is, as far as I know, their answer to a levels. And again, as far as I know (I'm not from, nor have I ever lived in teh US myself, but I have a lot of family in California) no sixth form colleges or the like- you are at high school from 14 to 18. There are junior colleges, but those are for 18 plus, and pretty much do the first half of a degree, which can then be transferred to a university to finish.

Of course the maths syllabus will be different, but I should imagine that with your extra studies, there's no way you'll be missing out on anything.

Edit: Oh, just remembered, the song. It's actually Santa Fe. Do you know the way to Santa Fe. But San Hose fits in... :p:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 11

The Fez

Original post by Sokka

Also, what do they do in America, what will my gcse's be worth over there? Do colleges know what gcse's are? I'm doing 18 GCSE's (2 MORE EXAMS :biggrin:

~ Calvin Chen

You will most likely go to a public school in the US, because most private schools have the entry exam from when you're in 7th/8th grade. And you will need to pay for private schools.
May I ask what year you're in? I'm not sure about the GCSEs, but you might even have to ask the school in your area (if you already knew where you're going). Last year on my year abroad, they converted my Indonesian transcripts so I could get American credits in order to graduate. But since GCSEs are internationally recognized, I don't think you will need to do that. But just call them and make sure about all the stuff. If you're in year 10/11 then it's a good year to start taking AP classes and prepare yourself for the SAT / ACT because most American universities use those. Some schools also offer IB but if you know you want to go to Harvard then try hard to ace the SAT, SAT subject tests, or ACT with writing. There are other good non-ivies universities too in the US, so check out those too.
Extracurricular activities and community involvement are very important for most American Unis, so try if you could start doing community services and stuff. American education somewhat emphasizes on well-roundness. I know a friend who got rejected from Yale with 2400 SAT score and 3 800s on Subject Tests with 4.3 GPA (4.0 scale) and other friend got accepted with 2200ish, 700ish Subject tests, and 3.8 GPA but with strong extracurricular activities and community involvement (MUN, Track and Field, and Math Bowl, and she volunteers at the Zoo)

Oh and have fun in California!

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 12

IPlayThePiccolo

Original post by Sokka

Hey, I don't get you, sorry, please explain

It's a song. Ignore :P Ummm maybe talk to your parents and once you know where you're going to school there, email the school and see what the deal is?

Reply 13

IPlayThePiccolo

Original post by Sokka

Oh I sort of get the US education system. They have to stay in education until they're 18, so you got to high school until you're 18 I believe, there isn't a seperate secondary school and college. I'd really talk to your parents as they should be sorting out your schooling before you go.

Reply 14

Drewski

Original post by Teao the Cat

Edit: Oh, just remembered, the song. It's actually Santa Fe. Do you know the way to Santa Fe. But San Hose fits in... :p:

No, it really isn't. 'Do you know the way to San Jose' was released in 1968. It's been around for a while.

Original post by Sokka

I wanted to go Cambridge university but now I don't know where I can study in the USA. I know harvard is really good and I want to go there but I heard it's really hard to get in.

Hmm... So you're put off by Harvard because it's "really hard to get in", yet you wanted to go to Cambridge? Of course, Cambridge is really easy to get into...

Reply 15

mczakk

Original post by Teao the Cat

Edit: Oh, just remembered, the song. It's actually Santa Fe. Do you know the way to Santa Fe. But San Hose fits in... :p:

Reply 16

Teao the Cat

Oh, I was thinking of a different song, which is Santa Fe. But yes, this works too...

Reply 17

marek35

Original post by Sokka

No, it's not that. Cambridge have these STEP papers which I'm not too intimidated by since I started A-level math early and I'm finding it ok so far. I've checked out some STEP papers and they're based on a level math and they word questions differently and require longer answers but they aren't too bad, I was hoping by the time I'm 18 I would have had enough practise and covered the a-level syllabus well enough. However, Harvard and other ivy league universities in the USA are different to me and I don't know how their admissions system works and what criteria they base offers on which is why I'm slightly worried. Also, technically Harvard is better than Cambridge because it's 1st in the league tables. Hope that explains it, thanks.